Columbia Area Insight

The Katy Trail is a beautiful 34 mile bike ride, 17 miles each way, from my driveway to Les Bourgeois Winery on the bluffs overlooking the Missouri River is pure bliss. It exudes great greenery, flowers, rocks, caves, streams, and many other wonders of nature. Riding down the trail, you will see families, groups of young people, runners, walkers, people walking their dogs, and everything peaceful.

It is a great attraction to those moving to Columbia and the surrounding area, offering entertainment and family involvement, great workouts, and a nice afternoon having a glass of wine at the winery when you're finished riding; or in our case, a break in the middle. Columbia has many entrances to the trail, and whatever the neighborhood, you will have the option for that enjoyment.

Columbia and the surrounding area has the best trail system! There are many neighborhoods that allow one to just get on foot or on your bike and not only get great exercise, but enjoy doing so with an amazing view on an amazing trail. I know I do!

You'll see many people of all ages doing the same. Families with children in strollers, people training for triathlons, people casually walking by themselves or with others, and people walking or running with their dogs. You'll go by Twin Lakes, where you'll find a dog park, swimming area, and fishing area. You'll find access to downtown's Flat Branch Park and District. Personally, I love it! It's free. It's invigorating. It feels happy and it's easy.

If you're a wine-lover, you'll love riding to the winery in Rocheport. You'll enjoy the bluffs along the Missouri River. It's a soft and warm approach to really living in your neighborhood!

This article sums up everything I love about calling Columbia home! It has a small town feel with livable city resources. Mix in an excellent public school system, top notch multi-use trails, the award winning University of Missouri healthcare system and the amenities that the University of Missouri provides. You will have a wonderful place to plant your roots!

At Finger Lakes you will not be bored! This state park offers many activities to choose from such as ATV riding, hiking, fishing, camping, plus much more!!! With Finger Lakes, fun is just minutes away, it is located off of North Hwy 63, just a short drive from Columbia. To enter the state park it is free, if you are interested in riding ATVs it is $5.00 per off road vehicle. Finger Lakes is cheap entertainment while enjoying the outdoors of Columbia, Missouri.

The population of Columbia was approximately 74,000 in 1995. Today, the population is approximately 115,000. Good growth for businesses, for real estate, and for all of the community. This growth is due to wonderful a medical field with excellent hospitals, great colleges and solid businesses! Columbia is approximately two hours from the large cities of Kansas City and St. Louis and only one hour from the Lake of the Ozarks! The future is very bright for Columbia. Move here now!

One of my favorite local institutions is the Columbia Public Library. Our local library is the headquarters for the Daniel Boone Regional Library (DBRL) which serves Boone and Callaway Counties and the City of Columbia. The library is located at 100 West Broadway in an attractive and architecturally interesting building completed in 2002.

According to the mission statement "DBRL connects our communities to the world of information and ideas". Besides a world class collection of books, reference materials, and other media, the library offers a robust array of programs and services for adults, teens, and children. Internet access, meeting rooms, taxpayer assistance, tutoring, book discussions, storytime, movies, storytellers, musicians and other performers, are just a few of the many free resources and programs available to everyone.

A recent client who is relocating to Columbia from a large metropolitan area reminded me of another aspect of our local library we take for granted. She loved the "Perk Desk" with its fresh brewed coffee, fresh baked goods, and snacks. And she couldn't believe the relaxed welcoming atmosphere that allowed her to enjoy her coffee while browsing the library. She said that would never happen where she comes from. Columbia Public Library is just one more reason Columbia, MO is a great place to call home.

Check out this article that explains why Columbia earned a spot on the Livability.com 2015 Top 100 Places to Live! From education to health care to private business, Columbia offers a diverse progressive environment for living, working and playing! Columbia is a great place to call home.

During the winter months, it can be hard to find activities for the kids when it's too cold to play outside. Thankfully, Columbia has several fun indoor options. I discovered Tiger Bounce this past weekend, Columbia's newest indoor play facility- my five year old bounced and laughed to her heart's content in the indoor bounce houses and was fast asleep on the way home. Success!

Columbia is home of the unexpected! From local restaurants that have national recognition to nationally recognized festivals like the True False Film Festival coming up March 5th - 8th. There is always something to do in Columbia.

Columbia is home to a vibrant arts community with strong representation in all kinds of media. If you enjoy independent film then you'll definitely want to visit Ragtag Cinema located at 10 Hitt Street in downtown Columbia. According to their website "Ragtag's mission is to champion independent film and media art and to serve film communities both locally and globally."

Ragtag is a 501(c)3 non-profit arts organization that operates an arthouse theater 365 days a year, and the internationally acclaimed True/False documentary film festival. True/False is an annual four day festival that attracts thousands of people and includes personal appearances by award winning film makers, critics, and other film industry professionals.

Columbia has so many great restaurants it seems almost unfair to rank one as my favorite, but, The Wine Cellar & Bistro located at 505 Cherry Street is a special place. Craig and Sarah Cyr have been wowing diners there for over a decade with wonderful entrees, amazing wines, and stellar special events.

From the beginning, the Cyrs have focused on using locally grown and sustainable ingredients in their offerings. The last couple of years they've taken that concept to a whole new level with their Garden Project. For a very modest fee you can attend up to 15 different classes in organic gardening taught by local experts at the Cyr's farm. The classes include hands on work in the Cyr's garden followed by a home cooked meal prepared by Chef Craig with a wine pairing selected by Sommelier Sarah. As the season progresses many of the ingredients for the meals come directly from the Cyr's garden.

If you decide to visit the Wine Cellar and Bistro I'm certain you'll enjoy the outstanding regular menu, but be sure to also consider attending one of their special events. From time to time Sarah teaches wine tasting classes, holds wine tastings from amazing wineries, and combines Craig's wonderful cooking with her wine selections for special wine themed dinners. Imagine an 8 course dinner paired with 8 different wines with each wine described by the importer who personally visited the wineries in Italy and selected the wines. If that sounds fun to you be sure and check out the Wine Cellar and Bistro.

One of the great things about living in Columbia is the many wonderful recreational opportunities available. Columbia has over 3,100 acres of park land. There are 83 parks, green spaces, and recreation facilities in the city. One of my favorites is Stephens Lake Park.

The property has a rich history dating back to the 1800's when David Gordon settled there. Captain Gordon was one of the founders of the Smithton community that in 1821 became Columbia. In 1926, Stephens College acquired the property and built a 9 hole golf course. The city acquired the property in 2001 thus preserving a part of Columbia's history and providing its citizens with a wonderful community asset.

The park encompasses 116 acres and includes an 11 acre lake with swimming beach. There are numerous shelters, a pavilion, walking and biking trails, an amphitheater, sledding hill, and other amenities; even WiFi. Activities include swimming, boating, fishing, sledding, and picnicking. Enjoy concerts, festivals, and events such as Art in the Park and the Roots N Blues Music Festival.